


Forbidden Fruit

by ddagent



Series: The Princess and the Spinner Volumes [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Role Reversal, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-10
Updated: 2012-10-10
Packaged: 2017-11-16 00:59:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/533724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddagent/pseuds/ddagent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spinner Rumpelstiltskin is finding it difficult to be around his employer, Dark One Belle LeFay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forbidden Fruit

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters, or its settings - all belongs to the lovely folks at ABC.
> 
> A short scene I wrote in between chapters 2 and 3 of 'Skin Deep'. Note - minor spoilers for the cast list of 2.04. Hope you enjoy!

Rumpelstiltskin had never been the handsomest man in his small village. He'd never been the strongest, but he had been smart. That smartness, his sensibility was the reason why his wife had chosen him. They had tried to be happy together, at least for Bae's sake. But after he had been hobbled and returned from the war a coward, his marriage had essentially ended. Milha had never got over that shame, and their pale attempt at marriage had ended in her suicide.

 

After that, he had never considered himself good enough for anyone, barely considered himself able to take care of Bae. There had never been another woman since Milha, not that anyone in his small village would have him even if they _had_ been attracted to him. Nothing had changed, not even with Bae's death and his new position. With his current employer, the beautiful Belle LeFay, Rumpelstiltskin didn't even consider them in the same league. To think otherwise was laughable.

 

Yet he wanted her.

 

His mistress was currently draped over one of the chaises in her library. He liked spending most of his time in there with her - books covered every possible wall surface, the large [thankfully now stable] balcony overlooking the ocean provided wonderful views. There were random tea cups dotted around and half eaten biscuits trapped between books on magic and the best way to raise roses. His mistress read everything, was determined to know everything. He supposed that was where the legend came from - she had the ability to answer every question simply because she read so much.

 

"Rumpelstiltskin."

 

He looked up and over at Belle and watched her smile at him. "Yes my lady?"

 

"What day is it?"

 

He tried to stifle the smile that was creeping over his features but she saw it easily enough. He gave in to the smile and bowed his head at her. "It's Monday."

 

She pouted a little and returned to her book. Tuesday was new book day and his beautiful employer was like a small puppy from Monday morning to Tuesday evening when she came back from town with the new volumes. She practically leapt at him in delight at having something new to read, not that Rumpelstiltskin minded. _Especially_ not in the outfit she was currently wearing.

 

Belle's rich chocolate curls were loose on her shoulders, her blue eyes concentrating on the page in front of her. Her dress that day was dark red silk, pulled over her shoulder in two straps connected with gold thread. Her corset couldn't be any tighter, showing off those breasts to perfection. The skirt of the dress was loose and had a slit up the side, meaning that when Belle crouched forward to read an interesting bit in her book he could see her legs. The fabric barely covered her back, producing plenty of ivory skin for him to fantasise about touching. A teardrop diamond was her only jewellery; the deep red lipstick covering her mouth was the only colour on her pale face.

 

She looked so cold to touch, but Rumpelstiltskin could see in those bright blue orbs that her heart was in the right place.

 

"You're staring at me."

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked up and realised that his mistress had caught him. He coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment "Sorry my lady. I didn't mean to."

 

She placed her book down, taking her time to use a scrap of parchment to mark her place. Belle jumped up from the chaise and went over to his side of the library where he was dusting. She curled up on the small flight of stairs next to him and ran her hands along the marble.

 

"Why were you staring?"

 

"It's a very beautiful dress," he admitted, which was in fact the truth. That he would like to see it on the floor was another matter all together.

 

Belle looked at it. She picked at the red silk, smiling faintly. "I suppose it is. I purchased it across the sea." She moved around the stairs and turned to him. "How do you like your new clothes?"

 

The boots were good quality leather, coming up to his knees. Now that his employer had healed his limp, he was able to stand tall as he worked. He had several pairs of black leather pants now too, very different from the rags he was used to wearing. His loved his white tunic though - it was a full length sleeve with a long collar that dipped low on his breastbone. It got hot in the castle, and he liked having something light to wear. That he looked more like a squire than a spinner pleased him greatly.

 

"They're very practicable, Lady Belle," he said, smiling at her once more. She stalked forward like a wild cat and Rumpelstiltskin took a step back against one of the book shelves. Her hands were behind her back, pushing her breasts forward. _He just couldn't stop staring at her._ He wanted to bury his hands in her hair, wanted to press his mouth to that expanse of skin.

 

He'd always had a tendency to fantasise. She wouldn't let him touch her like that. But oh how he dreamt she would.

 

Slowly, Rumpelstiltskin watched as she pressed a hand against the collar of his shirt and slipped it over where his heart was. Her hand rested on his skin, slowly making patterns over his chest. He closed his eyes and felt her step forward. Once again - like his first night in their castle - she pressed her fingers to his chin and made him look up at her.

 

She was beaming at him.

 

"You don't just see the dress, do you?" she asked, continuing to rest against his heart.

 

He shook his head. "I see a woman who gets incredibly excited over a day of the week, and who will no doubt need glasses from the amount of reading she does." Rumpelstiltskin watched as her blue eyes grew softer and she moved further into him. All he had to do was reach out and place a hand on the curve of her hip, that red silk hip and he could touch his princess. "I see a woman who isn't as cold as she thinks she is."

 

He shouldn't have said anything as his words broke the spell and she spun on her heel, pressing her hands against her own heart. She was always pulling away, and he was too much of a coward to finally give in and press his mouth against hers.

 

Rumpelstiltskin realised that he was falling in love with his Lady Belle. He had never expected to feel anything after Bae's death, but here he was. In love. But he knew that she would never let him in, not when she was constantly curled up in the prison of her own making.

 

Tomorrow was new book day. Maybe when she went into town he could search through the library and find something that could help her - a cure perhaps, for the curse she was under. Doubtful, but stranger things had been known to happen. He just wanted her to be happy.

 

_He wanted her to be happy with him_. 


End file.
